For the fifth year in a row, the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina prepares to receive athletes from the world over for the South American Jiu-Jitsu Championship. The event will take place November 20 and 21 at the São José Multiuso Arena, and sign-ups have been extended till the 16th, so don’t miss this opportunity.
Set for early summer in Brazil – a time when Santa Catarina becomes one of the most sought out travel destinations in the country – the South American Open is carving out a place for itself as one of the more attractive events on the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) calendar.
The competition, as usual, will be held in a basic elimination system, and divided into age (juvenile, adult, master and senior), weight (ten divisions, from rooster to open weight), belt rank (blue, purple, brown, and black) and gender (male and female). Running alongside the main event, as a way of encouraging beginners, the IBJJF will hold the South American Beginners Championship, for white belt males and females.
As rewards – besides the traditional gold, silver, and bronze medals – clothing company Bad Boy, which has been supporting the South Brazilian and South American championships for years, will reward the black belt standouts with two air tickets to the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship, to be held in Lisbon in January. One ticket will go to the winner of the adult black belt absolute division and the other will be raffled off among the winners of the other categories.
Among the favorites, likely to be there are Luiz Felipe “Big Mac” and Alexandre Souza, a Florianopolis native.
The municipal government of São José, through the Municipal Sports and Leisure Foundation, is also supporting the event. For those who won’t be able to make it, the event will be broadcast live from start to finish on www.sultatame.net.
For further information on the South American Jiu-Jitsu Championship, check the www.cbjj.com.br website.